The 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition Wants to Hear from YOU!

Are you constantly telling everyone your festival or event is the best ever? Should everyone be taking a page out of your Volunteer Program? Is your Sponsorship Program a shining example of perfect partnerships? Do you have the Best Parade on the block? What about your Ad Series – did it exceed expectations to increase attendance? Perhaps you've captured the perfect award-winning Photo of your event? Did your Merchandise Program bring in great profits this year? Were your Social Media Campaign analytics through the roof? Do you have a Radio or TV promo that captured your audience and drew them in? Or did you try a new form of Multi-Media this year?

Whatever you did at your event, we know you've worked hard to put everything in place and make your event the best it can be. Well, why not take a moment and receive a little recognition for all your hard work! With the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition, you can receive just that . . and more! For just a small entry fee per entry, you could walk away saying your event has been recognized by your peers on an international level!

With 62 categories on the Awards Entry List - events large or small, cities, festivals, chambers, universities, parks & recreation, vendors & suppliers, and everything in between, will find many categories that suit their organization! From best event poster, T-shirt, hat, promotional brochure, website, social media, TV promotion and more to Event Programming ranging from Sponsorship, Children's activities, Accessibility, Volunteers, Parades, Community Outreach and much more - there's a place for almost every element of your event to be recognized in front of your peers in the 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition!

It's been a year since the last Pinnacle Awards were handed out - many great festivals & events have happened since then that deserve to be recognized for their success! Don't let your achievements go unnoticed!

ALL ENTRIES SUBMITTED ONLINE

All IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award Entries are submitted online only, saving you not only financial resources but much needed time.

To get started, just create digital versions of all your entries, enter them through our online entry form, and pay for them all at one time!* (*If wishing to pay for your Pinnacle Entries by Check or need to be invoiced, please contact Nia Hovde, CFEE, BEFORE you start your entry process.) For more details on specific format types accepted, how to name the file names of your entries and how to submit online, see complete details in the Pinnacle Brochure.

So, what are you waiting for? Start creating your entries TODAY! Complete the online entry form, upload or provide a link to your entries and then click SUBMIT, so they can be judged against the best of the best, in the festivals and events industry. Then get ready to hear your organization’s name announced at the next Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat when we once again get to say . . . “And the winners are . . . !”

Questions?

For questions on any of the IFEA Awards Programs, contact: Nia Hovde, CFEE, Vice President/Director of Marketing & Communications, at Email: nia@ifea.com.

IFEA MEMBERS ENTER HERE

Entering the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition is an IFEA Member Benefit. IFEA Members, log in below to access the Online Pinnacle Entry Page.

LOG IN HERE TO SUBMIT ENTRIES ONLINE

2024 PINNACLE ENTRY BROCHURE

BEFORE you start getting your entries ready, be sure to download and thoroughly read through the 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Entry Brochure to view complete entry details and requirements for each Pinnacle Category.

DOWNLOAD PINNACLE ENTRY BROCHURE HERE

Additional Details

2024 PINNACLE ENTRY DEADLINES

Deadlines Subject to Change

EARLY BIRD ENTRY DEADLINE:
11:55 p.m. (MST), WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2024

Entries received on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (MST), Wednesday, April 17, 2024 will receive the Early Bird rate of $35 per entry or $125 per Grand Pinnacle Entry.

2nd EARLY BIRD DEADLINE:
11:55 p.m. (MDT), WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2024

Entries received between Thursday, April 18, 2024 and 11:55 p.m. (MDT), Wednesday, May 15, 2024 will receive the 2nd Early Bird entry rate of $40 per entry or $150 per Grand Pinnacle Entry.

FINAL ENTRY DEADLINE:
11:55 p.m. (MDT), WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2024

Entries received between Thursday, May 16, 2024 and 11:55 p.m. (MDT), Wednesday, June 26, 2024 will receive the Final Entry rate of $45 per entry or $200 per Grand Pinnacle Entry.

Eligibility Period

June 22, 2023 – June 26, 2024

Entries must have been produced and / or used for the first time between June 22, 2023 and June 26, 2024.

NOTE: We understand that events which occur close to the eligibility deadlines have a limited window to enter their event into the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition before the final entry deadline. If your event occurred just prior the start of the 2024 Pinnacle eligibility period (June 22, 2023 to June 26, 2024) and you DID NOT enter your event into the 2023 Pinnacle Competition, please contact Nia Hovde, CFEE at nia@ifea.com to enquire if your event may be eligible to be entered into the 2024 Competition.

2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Budget Categories Include:

All Pinnacle entries are not only separated in to 62 individual categories, but also into four individual budget categories within each category. This is to ensure that like size festivals & events compete against like sized festivals and events. A Gold, Silver and Bronze winner is then awarded within each budget category within each specific entry category. Therefore, there could ultimately be four Gold winners, four Silver winners and four Bronze winners within an individual Pinnacle Category. Judges may combine budget categories within a specific category, if the number of entries warrants it.

The specific budget category you enter is based on your organization's event expense budget. Budget categories are as follows:

Budget #1: Under $100,000
Budget #2: $100,000 to $500,000

Budget #3: $500,000 to $1 Million
Budget #4: Over $1 Million

2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Entry Categories Include:

Complete descriptions for each category along with requirements, judging criteria and instructions on how to submit your entry for each category can be found in the 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Brochure. (Available mid-January, 2024)

BEFORE YOU START WORKING ON YOUR PINNACLE ENTRIES, be sure to download and thoroughly read through the 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Entry Brochure where you will find the specific entry requirements and required information for each category.
DOWNLOAD PINNACLE ENTRY BROCHURE HERE

1. Grand Pinnacle
2. Best TV Promotion
3. Best Full-Length TV Program
4. Best Video Promotion
5. Best Radio Promotion
6. Best Single Social Video
7. Best Multimedia Component
8. Best Event Website
9. Best Organization Website
10. Best Facebook Site
11. Best Instagram Site
12. Best Single Digital/Social Ad
13. Best Digital/Social Ad Series
14. Best Event / Organization E-Newsletter
15. Best Event Program
16. Best Newspaper Insert / Supplement
17. Best Promotional Brochure
18. Best Printed Materials (Multiple Page)
19. Best Printed Materials (Single Page)
20. Best Cover Design

21. Best Single Newspaper Display Ad
22. Best Single Magazine Display Ad
23. Best Ad Series
24. Best Promotional Poster
25. Best Commemorative Poster
26. Best Promotional Photograph
27. Best Outdoor Billboard
28. Best Invitation
29. Best Street Banner
30. Best On-Site Décor
31. Best T-Shirt Design
32. Best Pin or Button
33. Best Hat
34. Best Festival / Event Merchandise
35. Best Sponsor Gift
36. Best Give-Away Item
37. Best Overall Merchandising Program
38. Best Targeted Sponsor Solicitation Proposal
39. Best Individual Sponsor Follow-Up Report
40. Best Sponsor Partner
41. Best Sponsor Activation
42. Best Sponsorship Program for Individual Sponsor
43. Best Overall Sponsorship Program

44. Best Volunteer Program
45. Best Green Program
46. Best Parade
47. Best Educational Program
48. Best Accessibility Program
49. Best Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan
50. Best Children’s Programming
51. Best Overall Entertainment Program
52. Best Community Outreach Program
53. Best Event / Program Within an Event to
Benefit A Cause
54. Best Event (Within an Existing Festival)
55. Best Emergency Preparedness & Risk Management Plan
56. Best New Festival or Event
57. Best New Promotion Activity
58. Most Creative / Effective News Stunt
59. Best Overall Media Relations Campaign
60. Best Event Management Bachelor’s Degree
61. Best Festival & Event Management Master’s Degree
62. Best Festival & Event Management PhD Program

About the Winners

For all entries, each winning festival/event receiving a Gold, Silver or Bronze award is selected from those festivals and events who enter the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition and are judged on the overall excellence of a festival / event based on the specific criteria and requirements of the specific category(ies) being entered, within each of the four separate budget categories. Festivals / Events recognized as an “IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Award Winner”, are entitled to use that specific language in sharing the news about a Pinnacle win, for the specific category(ies) won. Language declaring a Festival / Event / Parade / Program etc., as the “Best in the World by the IFEA”, is not correct or in line with the nature of the competition and will not be supported or endorsed by the IFEA.

Sponsor of the IFEA Pinnacle Awards

Haas & Wilkerson Insurance has proudly supported the IFEA and festivals and events industry for nearly three decades. As the presenting sponsor of the Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat, and the title sponsor of the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Program, they have helped to raise the quality and standards of excellence for festivals and events around the globe.

With over 80 years of entertainment industry experience behind them, they provide insurance programs designed for each event’s specific needs and have a long list of clients that includes festivals, fairs, parades, carnivals and more. Learn more about them at www.hwins.com.